Connecticut Net Metering Explained: What Eversource and UI Pay Per kWh (2026)

Net metering is the billing arrangement that makes rooftop solar financially viable in Connecticut. Instead of storing unused solar electricity in a battery, net metering lets you export it to the grid and receive a credit on your utility bill. Understanding exactly how Eversource and United Illuminating calculate those credits determines whether a solar system pays off in 7 years or 12.

How Net Metering Works in Connecticut

When your solar panels produce more electricity than your home is using at that moment, the excess flows back through your meter to the grid. Your meter runs backward. At the end of each billing period, you pay only the net difference between what you consumed and what you exported. If you exported more than you consumed, you receive a credit that carries forward to the next month.

Connecticut uses a 12-month rolling credit cycle. Credits from May (peak solar production) carry forward through the winter months (low production) and are applied against your bill. At the end of the 12-month cycle, any remaining unused credit is paid out to you, though at a lower rate than the retail rate you received during the year.

Eversource Net Metering Rate (2026)

Eversource customers receive net metering credits at the full retail rate for electricity exported during the billing period. As of 2026, the Eversource residential rate is approximately $0.24-$0.26 per kilowatt-hour depending on your rate class and the time of year. That is the same rate you would pay to buy electricity from Eversource, which makes net metering highly favorable.

The specific Eversource rate components that apply to net metering credits include:

• Generation charge (varies quarterly with energy markets)
• Distribution charge (fixed per-kWh rate set by PURA)
• Transmission charge
• Conservation and load management charge

Eversource does not credit the fixed monthly customer charge, the competitive transition assessment, or certain other fixed components. Your actual credit rate is slightly below the total bill rate, but typically 85-90% of it.

United Illuminating Net Metering Rate (2026)

United Illuminating (UI) operates in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport area and uses a similar net metering structure to Eversource. UI residential rates in 2026 are approximately $0.23-$0.27 per kilowatt-hour. Like Eversource, UI credits exported solar electricity at the full retail rate during the billing period, with the annual true-up paying out any remaining balance at a lower avoided-cost rate.

UI customers should note that UI's rate structure has historically had higher distribution charges than Eversource, which means UI solar customers sometimes see better bill reduction from the same system size. West Electric designs systems for both utility territories and can show you projected annual credits at your address.

Net Metering System Size Limit

Connecticut limits net metering to systems up to 2 megawatts (2,000 kW) for residential customers, which is far larger than any home solar system. In practice, the limit that matters for residential solar in Connecticut is the utility's interconnection requirement: your system cannot be sized to produce more than 100% of your annual electricity consumption, based on the prior 12 months of bills.

If you are buying an EV, adding a heat pump, or planning a pool, size your solar system against your projected future consumption, not your current usage. West Electric reviews 12 months of utility bills and your planned electrification before designing a system.

Net Metering vs. Battery Storage: Which Makes More Sense?

Net metering makes batteries less financially necessary in Connecticut than in states that have eliminated or reduced net metering (California, Nevada, Hawaii). If you are exporting electricity at $0.25/kWh and buying it back at $0.25/kWh, a battery saves you nothing on electricity cost but adds $14,000-$20,000 in upfront cost.

Batteries make financial sense in Connecticut when:

• You want backup power during outages (especially relevant after recent CT storm history)
• You are on a time-of-use rate and can arbitrage peak vs. off-peak pricing
• You want to maximize self-consumption of solar and minimize grid dependency
• The CT ESS battery incentive ($200-$400/kWh) helps close the payback gap

For most Connecticut homeowners, solar-only with net metering delivers the fastest payback (7-10 years). Adding a battery extends payback to 10-14 years but adds backup protection.

The Interconnection Process: What Happens Before Net Metering Starts

Your solar system cannot export to the grid until your utility approves the interconnection application. Here is the sequence:

West Electric manages the entire interconnection process. You do not need to contact Eversource or UI directly. Total time from permit application to PTO is typically 8-16 weeks.